Scientific name	Puccinellia maritima – Glaux maritima saltmarsh
Common name	Common Saltmarsh-grass – Sea-milkwort saltmarsh
Community code	SM2A

 

    

Download full pdf synopsis: SM2A

 

Vegetation

This saltmarsh community is dominated by Puccinellia maritima, with Aster tripolium, Plantago maritima and Armeria maritima also constants. Frequently, one will also find some Glaux maritima, Spergularia media and Triglochin maritimum and occasionally some stems of Salicornia agg., Cochlearia officinalis agg., Suaeda maritima and Limonium humile.

 

Ecology

This is a common lower marsh community that is fairly frequently inundated. Conditions are base-rich.

 

Sub-communities

No sub-communities have been described for this community.

 

Similar communities

SM2A is essentially the ‘typicum’ Puccinellia community. It is a bit more diverse than SM2D and Puccinellia is not so overwhelmingly dominant. Atriplex portulacoides is much less abundant here than it is in community SM2B. This vegetation occurs a little higher in the marsh than SM2C so Salicornia agg. and Limonium humile are found much less frequently.

 

Conservation value

Almost all examples of this vegetation qualify as EU HD Annex I habitat 1330 Atlantic salt meadows. It is typically a species-poor community, but the species that are present are specialists.

 

Management

The main threats to this saltmarsh community are probably grazing by livestock and invasion by Spartina agg. Sea-level rises as a result of climate change could potentially have an impact, particularly in areas susceptible to coastal squeeze.